“A battered butterfly, he’d build Kimberly up, nurture her strength
and watch her return to flight. He repressed the visions dancing in the
back of his mind; her naked body brandished red flags and spurred him to
stampede. Bulls and butterflies did not mix.”

Jordan Fry’s obsession is born in “You Can’t Force Love” by Marie Drake, Book I in the Locked Hearts Series.

From different towns and social backgrounds, Jordan Fry and Kimberly
Orvine experience life-altering abuse, lose a parent and land in the
same foster home. Angry, and self-deprecating, fiery redheaded Kimberly
is deadset on lousy behavior and suffering the consequences, punishing
herself for former sins. Scared by his inner darkness, pyromaniac Jordan
has vowed to change for the better. He focuses on Kimberly as the key
to his success, but she intends to make him break his promises. Unaware
of Jordan’s atrocious actions in the past, she’s dangerously close to
unleashing the evil he struggles to contain during their epic battle of
wills. Can they both survive?

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Fresh, black pavement radiated visible heat; scorched grass
crunched beneath Jordan’s feet; sweat drenched his shoulder-length, blonde
hair, and it clung to his neck. The mobile home park’s road ended at a small
store; he paid twenty-five cents for two ring-shaped lollipops, saved a pink
candy, unwrapped a blue one and reclined on a canopy shaded bench.

A black and yellow butterfly fluttered toward him; sunlight
clarified its translucent wings and turned it magical, otherworldly. Jordan
stared at the creature hovering above his leg. It glided to his knee. Tiny feet
danced on his bare skin, a slight tickle. Sparkling like gold dust; glowing,
powdery residue transferred on his fingers. Airborn again, impulsively, he
reached and knocked it to the ground; one wing beat up and down.

Humming distracted him, and he stepped on the butterfly as
he crossed the road. Lily skipped across the grass in pink, canvas sneakers.
Her long, cinnamon-colored hair billowed; it tapped her thin, white blouse
below her shoulder blades and bounced with each step. A faint halo highlighted
her lovely features. Enhanced by sapphire-colored stones in her ears, her blue
eyes shined brighter than the butterfly. She smiled. Calescent stomach pain
folded him in half. With gritted teeth, he straightened, took a step, smiled
back at her, and offered the ring-pop from his pocket.

“Strawberry, my favorite.” She tugged the lollipop from its
wrapper and slipped it into her mouth. Her eyes crinkled in the sun. She
dragged the candy over her lips with a final sucking motion, lifted her hand
and let the sunshine filter through the gem-shaped sugar. “Pretty,” she said.

Pain struck Jordan again, stronger. It radiated through his
lower body. Lily held his hand and walked along the road’s edge. She stopped at
a red and white toolshed at the corner of her backyard. Jordan peeked into her
driveway, no car.

“Just one time, right?” Lily asked. She closed her eyes.

Jordan smothered her with his mouth; she panicked and
struggled, but he closed in and restrained her. His mind emptied, his eyes went
blank; a blinding drive took over, and he pressed her to the ground.
Tear-filled eyes didn’t dissuade him.

A horn honked, and a door slammed near the house; he froze.
Lily’s dad carried grocery bags. Jordan rolled. She ran toward home; he traced
her body’s imprint in the grass and discovered a shimmering deep-blue earring.

A vice clamped his arm, and with a yank, he met angry eyes;
he cowered inches below Lily’s father’s face.

Award-winning author, Marie Drake lives in a small town near Lake
Ontario with her husband, four sons, and three rescue pups. With many
years of experience in the Foster Care community and advocating for
other victims and survivors, she specializes in realistic and
psychological fiction depicting the lives of abuse sufferers; their
obstacles, their triumphs, and their downfalls.